Preview: Injustice: Gods Among Us contender for heavy weight in fighting came universe

Injustice: Gods Among Us may be the first all superhero fighting game to look fantastic and provide players with decent gameplay mechanics.

Yesterday, members of the press were invited down to play through some of the multiplayer levels and single player campaign for Warner Bros. newest fighting title.

The game is unquestionably gorgeous. Created using the same engine that powered the latest Mortal Kombat game, every finishing move activated provides a breathtaking cinematic video. Each playable character, which as of yesterday’s play through was about 25, has their own special finishing move that resembles the comic book world they originated from.

One of the best finishing moves used was Harley Quinn’s, who ends off her fight with an attack full of comedy, gore, and a sickeningly sadistic laugh. While not as gory as the finishing sequences in Mortal Kombat 9, being situated in the expansive yet intricate world of the DC universe, each sequence will present fans with a visual worthy of fireworks.

There’s also the option to change up the costumes for each character. Some are available through certain level play through’s, acting as unlockables, and some are available right off the bat. Costume changes may have been viewed as gimmicky add ons to a game with other titles, but with Injustice, it will appease any true DC fan.

Art can only carry a game for so long, especially if the game is a fighting platform. Gameplay and battle mechanics must be top notch to keep amateurs’ and professionals’ prolonged attention. Injustice delivers smooth battle mechanics, and spruces up a dried up genre.

Before Injustice, the most recent fighting game was Tekken Tag Tournament, a follow up to its mediocre predecessor. If ever there was a time for rejuvenation in the genre, now is the time. Warner Bros. has stepped up to the plate and delivered what very well could be the next big fighting franchise.

With Injustice, every aspect to the game is completely interactive and surprisingly in-depth. One of the more courageous innovations was allowing players to interact with the arenas and use various points throughout the stage to their advantage over their opponent. There are certain areas in the arena where your character can unleash a “special” move through arena interaction.

The arenas in Injustice ignore the traditional 2D backdrop, and instead present a 3D feeling experience, with an added twist. Injustice allows players to break into sublevels of their current fighting ground. Within each battleground, there is a new and different subterranean arena waiting to be destroyed.

Superman seems like he’s owning Soloman Grundy.

The single player campaign story line looks promising for fans of DC. A fight has broken out between the villainous bad guys and the complex superheroes of the DC universe. The event only allowed a play through of the first half of the first level, but it looked very promising.

One of the issues with fighting games is they don’t always appeal to a casual gamer. Online multiplayer can scare casual gamers away from the scene. With Injustice, it seems like NeatherRealm Studios, the development team behind the game, have put just as much effort into the single player campaign as they have with the multiplayer.

With a demo dropping for PlayStation Network and Xbox 360 users on April 2, this is a game worth checking out for casual gamers and fighting aficionado alike.